One of the things tucked away in the small print of macOS 27 beta 3 is the news that you’ll need a 2TB iCloud+ subscription in order to use the new AI features for home security cameras in the Apple Home app.
While some are suggesting that we shouldn’t be too surprised by this, I do find it a somewhat disappointing move by Apple …
Apple announced significant AI-powered upgrades to the Home app at this year’s WWDC.
Intelligent Home app notifications
One of these was using Apple Intelligence to replace a whole sequence of individual security notifications with a single summary. At present, something as routine as a family member arriving home might generate a notification that they were seen in the driveway, then that the garage door was opened, then that the garage door was closed, then that they were seen at the front door, then that the front door was unlocked, and finally that it was locked.
In iOS 27, all of those individual notifications are replaced with a single one saying that the family member arrived home.
Three AI features for video footage
But the bigger improvements was an upgrade of HomeKit Secure Video from 1080p to 4K, and the use of Apple intelligence to analyze footage from home security cameras. Apple highlighted three intelligent capabilities.
With generated video descriptions, users can quickly understand what happened across a sequence of video clips, even without watching them.
They can also search through camera clips so they can easily find what they’re looking for, like a package delivery.
At the top of the Search page, the Home app elevates noteworthy clips that users may want to review, so they can quickly see important moments.
The company illustrated this with footage from multiple cameras capturing a UPS delivery as well as a friend dropping off a fruit bowl.
But the new features won’t be free
Macworld spotted an important note in the release notes for the latest developer beta.
Apple revealed the requirement in the release notes for developers for macOS 27 beta 3, though it applies to using the AI features with iOS or iPadOS as well. If you enable Apple Intelligence in the Home app, you need a 2TB iCloud+ subscription.
That works out to $9.99 per month.
Perhaps unsurprising, but disappointing
As the site notes, we perhaps shouldn’t be too surprised by this. Existing HomeKit Secure Video features already require a paid iCloud plan, and if you have more than one camera then the minimum requirement is for the 200GB plan at $2.99 per month. If you want unlimited cameras, then you have to upgrade to the 2TB plan at $9.99 per month.
Since the AI features will be most useful for those who have multiple cameras, then it’s likely that some of the target users are already on the 2TB plan – that requirement kicks in at six or more cameras.
Top comment by Ben Brouckaert
It’s a bad look and makes it pretty clear that they’re going to squeeze every bit of money they can out of this stuff. A little price increase here, a higher price tier cutoff there…
It honestly makes me think the EU is onto something. I’d like to see more options for stuff like cloud backup services and camera storage through the home app, if only to keep prices down.
However, I do think it’s disappointing that Apple is forcing this requirement on those with fewer cameras, perpetuating the unwelcome trend of everything being turned into a subscription these days.
Yes, we’re used to other security camera brands doing exactly this kind of thing for their own cloud services, but one of the key benefits of HomeKit Secure Video is to bypass those subscriptions. I would have hoped for better behavior from Apple.
What’s your view? Do you think Apple is being reasonable or unreasonable in imposing this requirement? Please take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.
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